Paul Madeline (1863-1920) Autumn Walk C.1902. Creuse, Crozant School, Guillaumin

Charming new oil on canvas by Paul Madeline depicting an autumn walk around 1900/1902, most likely in the Creuse region, signed by the painter in the lower right corner. The painting alone measures 41x32.5cm without the frame and 56x48cm including the frame. Provenance: same as the paintings by Pail, Alluaud and Cordonnier, from a Limoges collection dispersed at auction. I will also provide the buyer with a certificate of authenticity and an invoice (€4800) issued by the Gargilesse castle gallery in 2015. This is therefore a very pretty composition by Paul Madeline dating from his Impressionist period around 1900/1902, when he still uses his very delicate touch with small, tightly spaced commas than later when his brushstrokes become broader; His palette is also very typical of this period, dominated by oranges, browns, and sienna. Of course, he adds very subtle touches of mauve, soft green, yellow, and sky blue. We know that Madeline painted mainly in the Creuse region during the autumn, and he very often painted this type of scene where we see a peasant woman accompanied by a little girl. I've attached a photo of a very similar work, 41x30cm, which sold for over €8,000 on June 30, 2008, in Paris. Beautiful work by one of the greatest French Post-Impressionists, who often rivals artists like Guillaumin, Detroy, Maufra, or Moret. Today, Paul Madeline is considered as much one of the masters of the Breton school, alongside Moret, Maufra, Delavallée, Legoût-Gérard, and others, as he is one of the masters of the Creuse Valley, alongside Guillaumin, Detroy, Alfred Smith, and Alluaud. Paul Madeline was born in Paris on October 7, 1863. A student at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, he worked in a publishing house to support himself and painted urban landscapes in his free time. In 1894, he discovered the Creuse—a charming rural area in the Limousin region—following a meeting with Maurice Rollinat and Léon Detroy at the home of a mutual friend. He exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1894, 1897, and 1899. Later, he was appointed a permanent member of the Salon d'Automne, as well as the Salon de la Nationale des Beaux-Arts. Then came great success for him. He devoted himself entirely to painting and spent several months a year in the Creuse region, usually in the autumn. A major figure among the painters of the Creuse, Paul Madeline, like Alluaud, was one of Armand Guillaumin's followers, drawing inspiration from his palette and technique. But conversely, many other artists were inspired by him, including Clémentine Ballot, perhaps the one who came closest to emulating the master. In 1908, he founded "La Société Moderne" (The Modern Society), which included painters such as Lebasque, Raffaëlli, Aman-Jean, and Maurice Chabas. The Devambez and Durand-Ruel galleries are invited to their annual exhibitions. Madeline traveled extensively in the 1910s, and towards the end of his career, he introduced figures into his landscapes, wearing regional costumes, particularly from Brittany, his second home, where he loved to go as much as to the Creuse region, especially the counties of Douarnenez, Diben, and the Île de Bréhat. He also traveled to Corrèze, Alsace during the First World War, Périgord, and the South of France, notably around Agay. The Salon des Indépendants dedicated a retrospective to him in 1926, six years after his untimely death. Today, his works are highly sought after by collectors worldwide; some sell for over €20,000 and even more! The original canvas is in very good condition; I note only two tiny repairs, each about a millimeter in size, including a small patch on the back. Delivered in a beautiful modern carved gold frame. Artwork guaranteed authentic.